Delhi Airport departure lounge, on the way back from a lizard central science meet. It had been unfortunately productive with many ideas as to how to combat the ‘genophage’ and a worryingly coordinated plan of attack to split up the research across the worlds groups. Still she had notes on the progress and had managed to bag one bit of fairly key research for herself.
“Excuse me madame…”
Sudden panic and flashbacks to before. Chloroform over her mouth and arms grabbing at her…
“…Could you come with us please?”
“Of course.” Calm smile, chaos underneath. Nowhere to run and then…
…Through a door.
“Billy?”
“Hey Harker. Heard you were in town.”
“Yeah… for the conference about the geno…” He winces, “…the thing.” What did this mean? Why was he here? What did he want? Did he know?
“Cool, cool. All good?”
“Yeah. Yeah… all good.” He’s not meant to be in Delhi, I know that! Earth’s second in command doesn’t just turn up to see me without a damn good reason.
“So”
“So” He knows, he knows and I’m dead.
“I was wondering…”
She braced, ready for the inevitable shot, the revelation he knew everything.
“Yes?”
“You fancy a drink?”
“A drink?”
A Smile on his face but steel behind his eyes. She could refuse, but he’d come all this way just to ask her out on a date, saying no to earth’s second in command could be… troublesome and draw too much attention.
“Sure.”
“Great.” She took his offered arm. ‘Please god let this not be a trap.’
“I’m off to meet our mutual friend Mr ET_Tins and… well. It’s gonna be epic y’know. Showdown of the century, battle of the bands. He’s going down!”
“But why are you here?”
“You know. Just to see you.”
She laughed. To her it was hollow but she hoped it was convincing. “Me? Flattering but I don’t understand.”
“We’ve known each other for a while Harker, you’re not an unattractive woman. I thought maybe when I got back and that thorn in our sides is gone you and I might… get to know each other a bit better.”
Silence.
“So… how about it Harker?” Was that a threat in his voice or was she just imagining it. She thought of Mikiya waiting for her back in Tokyo…
“It’s all so fast…”
“Heh, you sound like a human, you can drop the act around me you know. I’m not going to report you. ”
“Heh, sorry…” She gazed nervously into her drink. He stared at her intently.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh no… no, nothing at all.”
“You’re not seeing Donnovan from the lab are you? Cos you know, then I’d have to kill him.” A pause, awkwardly long, before Billy started laughing and Harker nervously joined in. She wasn’t sure he was joking.
“I’ll see when I get back from the showdown then.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes… ok…”
He got up, drained his drink and headed out to the airport departure lounge.
She sat for a while nervously fiddling with her drink. This was not good, not good at all. Did he suspect or would refusing make him suspect more? What should she do? What would Mikiya say when she told him what Billy had said. She shuddered at the thought of having to spend more time with the person responsible for ruining her life, ‘dancing with genocidal maniac as his best friends forever.’
They called her flight over the tannoy interrupting her thoughts. In a daze she picked up her bag and headed towards the gate, back to Tokyo and home.